Saturday, December 10, 2011

Down with the fatness

The average weight of women in Britain is rising. In 1991, Miss Average weighed 10st 5lb, but today, she tips the scales at 11st.

A stone is 14 pounds, so 11 stone is 154 pounds. It was already absurd that British women weighed an average 145 pounds 20 years ago, and it's downright grotesque that they've managed to add nearly another half-pound per year. At this rate, women will have to start evolving wheels just to get around by the end of the 21st century.

Look at the pictures. Only the woman who is over six feet tall even has what can reasonably be described as a normal feminine body, and even she is a little on the husky side. And one has to cut the tall blonde a little slack, as she looks as her thunderous thighs are more the result of a brontosaurus heritage than dietary indiscipline.

The worst thing is that it is absolutely unnecessary for any woman to be that big. I know women in their forties with four, five, and even six children who weigh between 30 and 40 pounds less than the UK average. Nor is it any better in the USA; in 2002 the average weight of the American woman was 164 pounds, up from 140 in 1960.

It was already absurd that British women weighed an average 145 pounds 20 years ago ...

Cue snowflake testimony. When I was a competitive powerlifter, people were shocked to discover that I weighed 152 lbs. My muscularity, leanness, and height (5'8") translated to a size 6 at that weight.

Given that 95% of successful dieters regain the weight they've lost, and that yo-yo dieting can actually be more harmful (and result in more weight gain) than being in the BMI overweight category, what exactly do you propose to do about it?

Shaming girls for daring to eat can cause life-threatening eating disorders or trigger depression and anxiety.

With very few exceptions, people do not get fat intentionally. Most girls would give their right arms to be thinner than they are (regardless of their current weight). It's not a simple problem, and simplistic solutions like "don't eat" aren't very realistic.

Exercise, too, may be good for you, but some studies have found that it offers limited weight-loss benefits. One study found that just to lose weight, a woman over 30 (if I remember right) would need to spend an hour in the gym daily, in addition to dieting carefully.

Men's bodies seem to respond more quickly to weight-loss regimes than women's do, too. So men who have easily lost weight in the past judge women perhaps more harshly than they deserve for struggling with weight.

"My metabolism has obviously slowed down and the only way to get under 11st would be to consume fewer calories and exercise more."

I love how I can practically HEAR her saying this as if this was just a ridiculous option. And also her gamma bf telling her he likes her voluptuous body. Now granted i've seen girls who were a bit on the heavy side who actually looked much better without clothes on, but I highly doubt this woman is one of them

Shaming girls for daring to eat can cause life-threatening eating disorders or trigger depression and anxiety.

And the 145 annual US deaths per year from eating disorders means that the risk of shaming girls into avoiding porkerdom means that it merits about as much concern as worrying about being eaten by crocodiles.

Claiming that "it's not realistic" to expect people to stop stuffing their faces and getting less exercise than a girlfriend in a coma is simply stupid.

Just for the record, a 5'8 woman with a weight of 154 lbs has a BMI of 23.4. That puts her squarely in the "normal" or "healthy" range.

BMI is total nonsense. It's no more trustworthy than the government food pyramid that wants you to eat carbohydrates instead of protein.

I believe that your definition of "normal feminine body" is very skewed by the photoshopped standards of the media ideal.

Hardly. If it's skewed by anything, it's because I go regularly to the gym and I am accustomed to seeing people in attractive human shapes that bear some resemblance to their youthful ones, not lumpy, bulgy, swollen figures that look like creatures out of Lovecraft.

The current fashion trend at the gym appears to be tight yoga pant capri's. They look great on those girls that are in shape. Unfortunately, the gym fatties (those women that are always there but never lose weight)are also wearing them. Yoga pants, or other tights on bigger women are disgusting. Ladies, have you heard the term moose-knuckle? It's the camel toe's ugly cousin and if you're big and stuffing yourself in tight pants then you are likely putting your adipose covered mons-pubis on display for all to see everytime you show up to "sweat" a little. Please stop doing this. save the tights for when you'll look sexy by universal standards and not you're own.

Yeah, being fit is such a complex obscure art that the average person can hardly be expected to master it, much less even approximate it. The task is Herculean, no? That's pretty much the message the modern establishment health/diet/agribusiness conglomerate has finally settled on, since the fruit of all their low-fat efforts has resulted in the fattest population ever in human history.

Let me distill basic fitness down to one sentence for you: eat only vegetables and proteins most of the time, avoid sugary drinks, and get some form of strenuous exercise at least every 48 hours. Is this really that hard to follow?

The sexual market is brutal. It doesn't care if you're a fat, good-hearted woman, or a timid, loyal man. Especially if you're a woman, fat is worth less than fit. As a man, assertive is worth more than timid. When you admit to yourself this reality you can work to manuever within it.

Just last week I talked with a fellow subcontractor who visits USA regularly and he says that he has to eat at Subway nearly every day (and visit Whole Foods if he has extra time) because it is the only thing that somewhat resembles normal food.

I haven't been to USA, but when I was in England, I went looking for a side of salad with my food the first time I went to Tesco. What I meant by salad was about like this.

However, the "salad" section consisted entirely of something like this. I mean, WTF, people? The amusing thing is that if you search for "salad" in Google Images, you get pretty much what I expected, but it is totally divorced from the reality that I experienced. I have a degree of sympathy for the individual who has to live in that reality.

Markku, I see good salads in plenty American restaurants. You can find decent food in the USA, as long as you avoid most chain restaurants, especially the fast-food ones.

Even at "burger joint" style restaurants, I find it easy to request broccoli instead of french fries to go along with my hamburger. There is a small but significant subset of Americans who think about their food.

Also, most American cities have such a high concentration of immigrants that you can almost always find an ethnic restaurant within miles of your current location (take your pick: Indian, South American, Jamaican, Pakistani, Thai etc...). Even though I live in the heart of rednecksville, North/Central Florida, there is a Jamaican grocer I can visit with whole fish sitting on ice (and skinned goat heads), and any number of unusual fruits and vegetables. At least there is one beneficial result of diversity.

Actually, the 100-calorie packs are good for counting calories. I eat them myself, as I'm on a diet.

As for exercise, men do have an advantage simply because we weigh more. A woman needs 300-500 fewer calories than a man at the same level of activity.

All of which means that teenage girls need to have the facts of diet explained quite clearly to them early. And encouraged to both diet and exercise. Find some sport that interests them - with a clear understanding that not everybody is suited to every sport.

Ditto for young men. In particular, we need to drag high school gym classes out of the current obsession with moneyball. That would be a good place for REAL diversity.

I can't snowflake on this one. Guilty as charged. I'm 5'8" and am 35 pounds heavier than I should be. My weight has fluctuated by 30 pounds several times over the last 15 years. 4 years ago I lost the weight by using Nutrisystem and running every day and...wrecked my knees. Then laziness and complacency took over again and voila. My body distributes my excess weight into the hour-glass (now a three-hour-glass) so it is easy for me to ignore the reflection in the mirror changing so gradually.

Shaming does work (especially for my temperament). I've apologized to my husband for allowing this to happen again. I've taken to heart every word I've read on these blogs and have committed to changing. Over the last 4 weeks I've lost 10 pounds. I've been using Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. We have a Bowflex and are looking at getting adjustable weight dumbbells and putting up a pull up bar. I can do this "20 minute a day" intense workout and I absolutely love the energy I feel about 2 hours after each work out. I've also gotten over my own ego in talking about it. I talk about it all the time. I have my goal jeans hanging on the door to my closet and a chart of my progress that everyone can see. If it weren't for the honesty I've read here and on VP, I would probably continue to dishonor my husband with my lack of self control and discipline.

No, I hadn't heard of them, just googled it and am a bit confused what you do with them but I'll read up on it. For diet I am eating protein bars, eggs, salad and salsa for breakfast and lunch, the meal I make for my family for dinner but smaller portions than normal and more of the protein and fewer carbs (about 1400 calories) One day a week I don't limit my calories. I figured my diet should be what I enjoy, not these goofy recipes and foods that I'm not used to. I've found protein bars that I like and I never tire of eggs, homemade, fiery hot salsa and romaine.

Check the kettlebell out, maybe get a video. Simple equipment and exercises, low impact and tones up the whole body.

Agree on the diet...no goofy stuff! Keep it simple. My wife's mantra is "whole foods", meaning the food we eat should be as close to it's natural state as it can reasonably be. Apple, yes. Apple juice...try to avoid. Whole grains, yes. Doughnuts and white bread...try to avoid. Can't get much more whole food than eggs...

Markku, I see good salads in plenty American restaurants. You can find decent food in the USA, as long as you avoid most chain restaurants, especially the fast-food ones.

Sure, but you usually have to go out of your way in order to do that. When you are doing business over there, your business partners will probably take a dim view on you spending that much extra time for lunch.

Just noticed something about the linked article - not only are the women arranged in order (left -> right) of ascending height/descending obesity, but also in order of descending age. That is to say, the two tallest on the right side that most closely approximate a normal female physique are also the two youngest.

Anyone here have opinions on Tim Ferris "the Four Hour Body"? He shows an exercise with the kettlebells that corrects hunched shoulders, and also develops a sweet apple-bottom in the women that do it. Two birds with one stone; it corrects the effects of sitting at a desk or computer all day, and it makes your ass look good.

I'd say you've got to move the blonde, second from right, into the "normal feminine body" category.

I would say natural body rather than "normal feminine". Her upper body is an entirely different shape and size than her lower body, but it wouldn't appear there is much she can do about it. Just a unfortunate roll of the genetic dice.

In other words, if she had a normal body shape, she'd probably look fit, but she doesn't. Hence the comment about the brontosaurus genes.

Shaming does work (especially for my temperament). I've apologized to my husband for allowing this to happen again. I've taken to heart every word I've read on these blogs and have committed to changing. Over the last 4 weeks I've lost 10 pounds.

Good for you. The trick is to not burden yourself with your instinctively defensive reaction and use it for motivation. Think Michael Jordan; he found "taking offense" such effective motivation for his game that he used to generate it where none was intended.

Dr. Atkins, in his still relevant book, Diet Revolution, said that weight gain is the result of sugar added to almost every foodstuff. (Read ingredients.)

Sugar is a carbohydrate and there aren't enough proteins to feed big populations. The cheapest carbs are poultry eggs, and these are supposed to encourage chelosterol. But the culprit is actually sugar.

"Just noticed something about the linked article - not only are the women arranged in order (left -> right) of ascending height/descending obesity, but also in order of descending age. That is to say, the two tallest on the right side that most closely approximate a normal female physique are also the two youngest."

Interesting point, an naturally women who are taller and heavier tend to have the genetic predisposition to get much larger later on if they aren't very careful. So for ms 6'1 if she doesn't make a concerted effort to stay fit, or at least exercise, with her frame it wouldn't be unthinkable for her to put on 50 (or even 100) pounds by here 40s and 50s

On Markku's point, living in the US I can say that's spot on, you CAN order alternatives but it generally takes more time and effort to do, as if they don't want to advertise the healthier options. Though it seems in the business environment here you are required as you are promoted higher to do more work but be less productive as well. Was recently promoted and on my 3rd day went out to lunch with another Manager, the Asst Manager for the Office and the Project Manager, their choice was an all you can eat wing buffet and we were there for 2 hours almost. I was amazed the amount of food these guys put down, but then they are respectively 5'9 and 260 6'1 and 275 and 6'2 280. I was actually teased for being the only person at the table under 200 lbs and the next lightest man there outweighed me by at least 75 or 80 pounds. Needless to say I made sure I went to the gym and worked extra hard that night when I found out each of them are only in their mid 30s. I'm in my late 20s but I know I never want to look like these guys.

As you get older, and especially when you reach that age of the 'change', it becomes more difficult (though not impossible) to loose weight. At least that's been my experience. I would encourage you to be stable at the weight you would like to be for the rest of your life before you reach your mid 40's. Now that I am 52, I'm so glad that I had lost those extra pounds in my early 40's. Now the challenge is simply to hold it there - and that's challenging enough!

One tip that helped me is that I got rid of all of my clothes as they became too big for me. That left no comfortable wardrobe to return to when I put on even a few pounds. Too-tight jeans do wonders for reducing your appetite!

Debbs - great advice! I turn 37 in January, and I know, it's not going to get easier.

"Think Michael Jordan; he found 'taking offense' such effective motivation for his game that he used to generate it where none was intended." - VD

One thing that has helped is a friend I've recently gotten to know. She's my daughters' dance instructor and is 115 soakin' wet. She's 5'2, but nevertheless, has no fat on her. It's a great motivator knowing what our asses must look like when we're standing side by side. :)

JRL: Whole wheat bread will make you gain weight almost as fast as white bread. The glycemic index is almost identical. The plain fact is that modern people are NOT ACTIVE enough to eat bread (or pasta, potatoes, rice, etc...) all the time. A hundred years ago most people worked so hard at manual labor that all those quick calories got burned up.

E. Perline: bread has the same glycemic index as sugar. In fact potatoes have a higher glycemic index. So while they may contain more nutrition than sugar, the weight-gain effect is about the same. Last year, before I wised up, I was eating almost no sugar, but lots of whole-wheat bread, rice, and pasta and I was a) feeling like crap after every meal and b) about 30lb overweight. It took only 2 months of low-carb eating and just some basic exercising to fix that.

Glycemic index is the speed at which foods convert to glucose (the internal sugar the fuels your body). High-protein and high-fat foods tend to convert the slowest, green vegetables next, on towards fruits and starches, finally culminating with sugars and grains. Eat a good steak and it will supply your body with a slow stream of energy for the next day or two. Eat a piece of toast with strawberry jam and your body gets a quick hit of glucose in the next half hour, which it can't use up unless you are doing something active, so it kicks into fat-storage mode.

So it's not just about quantity of calories but the caloric *rate*. Sugars, grains or starches lead to lots of quick spikes in your caloric intake graph, followed by long dips. Proteins and fats smooth that out and stabilize your body's energy system. Read up on glycemic index charts for some eye-openers about the food you eat.

The most feminine attributes, softness and sweetness, are not found in hard-toned bodies. Women who have single digit body-fat percentage are not nurturing by nature. They are tautly disciplined and their first response is "No!"

It seems kind of silly that you Gamesters go on and on about feminine natures, and the way women "should be," but the physical profile you select is exceptionally high in testosterone! Taking normal distributions into account, those rail thin women could have more testosterone than many men! You guys got it SOOOOOOO backwards.

If you stick to the tried and true evolutionary indicator of fitness to breed, a woman should have a Waist to Hip ratio of 0.7. And the Boob to Belly ratio should be 0.8. You want a docile woman, tender and yielding, fragrant and silky, accept her with the curves that estrogen gives her.

Good tips in the article for diet and exercise. I'm glad to see that it focused on diet and exercise as a coordinated effort. to add to the article, It would also be beneficial to determine how many calories your body burns and how many calories you should eat per day. Then you would have some accuracy in adjusting your diet for weight gain or loss. I have found an online calculator that will tell you how many calories your body is burning and how many calories you should eat per day. For anyone interested the weight gain calculator is located at http://howtogainweight123.com . This could help you to know how to adjust your diet to either gain weight or lose weight.

JRL: Whole wheat bread will make you gain weight almost as fast as white bread. The glycemic index is almost identical. The plain fact is that modern people are NOT ACTIVE enough to eat bread (or pasta, potatoes, rice, etc...) all the time. A hundred years ago most people worked so hard at manual labor that all those quick calories got burned up.

rycamor - You missed MY point. I made no mention of as to frequency or quantity of carb consumption.

I don't think anyone is disgusted by the curves estrogen gives women, they're talking about the lumps(sack of pennies) that eating too damn much gives us.

Do you have anything to back up that softness, sweetness and nurturing is lacking in women with hard toned bodies? That sounds quite overreaching. I know plenty of ornery fat ladies, as a matter of fact the thin, toned ladies I know seem to have a better demeanor.

"True. And women are primarily attracted to men for their bodies, right? Not their wealth, power, fame, or Game. So it's exactly the same."

I don't always detect sarcasm, but remember that discussing things "logically" is very often not productive in a marriage!

My wife will always be one of those that has a very good figure due to genetics. That can be bad at times since she keeps a lot of the junk I am really trying to avoid around the house, making my challenge bigger when the cravings hit.

It is easier to not eat M&Ms if they aren't in the house at all!

I would note on the weight loss above that 10 pounds over 4 weeks sounds quite good. I am convinced that slow and steady is better than fast shedding.

It is an eating style that seems to be the goal, not the loss. I have probably lost my entire weight over the years, but going back to poor eating habits is the challenge.

Vox notes he works out all the time. I wonder what factors make that most likely in an individual. I am more like my own father who does things intensely for limited times (several years at most usually).

The best motivation for keeping the best body is to accept for yourself that having excess body fats and too much skin and bones are downright unacceptable.

I did this back in college despite my friends negative reaction to working out at that time. I was the only one who decided to go to a gym and start pumping iron.

I was underweight back then so I quickly gained weight. When my guy friends saw the results after 5 months of training they want in as well. My problem back then was that when I stop for a month at least I started shrinking again. I fluctuated from being in OK-weight and underweight from time to time usually during exams.

Today(I'm 27), I work out 5x a week, MWF weights and TTH cardio, an hour daily. I skip when I'm sick or when I lack sleep. As for my diet I'm not much into the details like measuring every gram of protein, carbo and calories except for the requirement that I must have veggies and a fruit or two in any major meals(breakfast, lunch, supper). And don't forget your water. I do take protein supplements(powder) after workout though to lessen the muscle pain the following day.

My wife is 5'9", weighs 156 (6 months out from childbirth) and looks fantastic. I can't keep my hands off of her. She doesn't have time to workout, or eat very much, but she does have two boys, 2.5 and 6 months, to look after.

It depends on the woman, the height and genetics. My mother in law is very good looking too, as is my sister in law.